Clothes-line holder



No. 65,859. Patented Dec. 13, I898.-

c. L. KBABEB.

CLOTHES LINE HOLDER.

(Application filed Feb. 10, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE.

CHARLES L. KRABER, OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS.

CLOTHES-LINE HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 615,859, dated December 13, 1898.

Application filed February 10, 1898. Serial No. 669 ,81'7. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. KRABER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Quincy, in the county of Adams and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Clothes-Line Holder, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a clothes-line holder, and has for its object to provide such a construction and arrangement of devices as to constitute a combined receptacle and tension device for the clothes-line,whereby when the latter is raised it is automatically housed and at the same time is so extended within the casing provided for its reception as to allow it to dry, and, furthermore, to provide such an arrangement of parts as to enable a considerable length of line to be housed within a comparatively small casing.

Further objects and advantages of this in-.

vention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims. v

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a clothes-line apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section in a plane perpendicular to that of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of a slightly-modified construction, showing a different arrangement of sheaves.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the draw- 1ngs.

1 designates a casing, preferably having a side door 2, by opening which the contents of the casing may be exposed, and mounted in the casing,'at its top, is a series of sheaves 3, traversed by a clothes-line 4. Also mounted for vertical movement in the casing is a weight 5, which, as illustrated in the drawings, may be of sectional construction,with its members inclosed in a box 6, to provide for varying the tension of the clothes-line, and mounted upon the weight, as by a suitable frame 7, erected upon the box 6, is a plurality of movable sheaves 8, also traversed by the clothes-line.

In practice the clothes-line employed is preferably of endless construction, and it is doubled upon itself to form a plurality of members or sides which simultaneously traverse the sheaves in a common direction. Thus the line forms two terminal loops 4, both of which project through suitable guide openings 9 in the wall or door of the casing, and thence, if desired, respectively over and under guide-rolls 10, and thence .around the sheaves respectively at the top of the casing and on the weight. This construction and arrangement of parts provides for extending either of the loops of the clothes-line when onlya short length of line is required or both loops, as desired, and in order to prevent one loop from slipping Within the casing when the other is extended independently thereof the line maybe provided, contiguous to each terminal loop, with a suitable stop or shoulder 11, consisting of a button or knob of sufficient size to prevent it from passing through the guide-openin g 9. Furthermore, it will be seen that bycausing a plurality of members of the clothes-line to traverse each sheave the capacity of the casing is vastly increased, and the adaptability of the apparatus to varying conditions of use is further increased by the exposure of the loops at opposite ends of the doubled line. Forinstance, where the area over which clothes-lines may be stretched is limited the advantage of having a plurality of loops will be obvious, and I desire it to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the arrangementof the line whereby only two members traverse each sheave, as it is obvious that a greater number may be arranged in the relation described to still further increase the capacity of the casing.

In operation when it is desired to arrange the line for use one of the looped terminals thereof is grasped and drawn out of the cas ing and then at spaced points passed around suitable uprights or engaged with suitablebrackets, whereby the members or sides of the extended portion are separated to form a triangle, said members'or sides being held taut by the tension device consisting of the weighted lower sheaves. After the engagement of the first-named loop with suitable points the other looped terminal of the clothesline may be extended and similarly engaged to form a second triangle, of which the sides are held taut by the same means as above described. If only a short length of line is required, the sides of the extended terminal may be allowed to remain parallel or incontact; but ordinarily it will be found c0nvenient, as above indicated, to separate the sides of the extended portion and engage the same at spaced points with suitable objects located at the desired interval.

The portions of the line between the fixed and movable sheaves are exposed to the air, and hence are adapted to dry after being housed in the casing.

In the modified construction illustrated in Fig. 4 the sheaves are constructed of dilferent sizes and are arranged out of axial alinement to provide for disposing a plurality thereof in a small space within the casing; but otherwise the construction is substantially the same as that hereinbefore described. The axes of the sheaves in this modified constructionare parallel or non-alined, and the intervals between the horizontally opposite points of the peripheries of the sheaves increase consecutively from the inner or conti guous sheaves to the outer or remote sheaves of the two series. For instance, a single inner sheave is arranged in each series, said sheave being of small diameter or with the horizontally opposite points of its periphery at a small interval. Beyond or outsideof this innermost sheave I have shown a larger sheave, or one of larger diameter, whereby the horizontally opposite points of its periphery are spaced at a greater interval. In this way the series may be extended as may be found desirable, or beyond the second-named sheave a plurality of smaller sheaves may be arranged at an interval, as shown in the drawings, to locate the remote horizontally opposite points of the peripheries thereof at a still greater interval than that between the corresponding points of the periphery of the second-named single sheave. In operation the construction illustrated in Fig. 4 is identical with that described in connection with Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The clothes-line is preferably endless and doubled, with its members or sides arranged to simultaneously traverse each sheave, and by extending one looped terminal of the endless clothes-line thus formed it may be engaged with a plurality of stationary objects to dispose the clothes-line in a triangular form.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

claim is-- 1. In a clothes-line-housing apparatus, the combination of a casing, a weight mounted for vertical movement in the casing, fixed and movable sheaves mounted respectively Having described my invention, what I upon the casing and weight, and a clothes-linetraversing said sheaves successively, and extending at both ends through guides to the outside of the casing for independent or simultaneous extension, substantially as specified.

2. In a clothes-line-housing apparatus, the

combination of a casing, a weight mounted for vertical movement in the casing, fixed and movable sheaves mounted respectively upon the casing and the weight, and a plurality of clothes-line members or sides, each of which traverses said sheaves successively, and each member or side being exposed at 1 both ends for extension substantially as speciitions extending without the casing and adapted for independent and simultaneous extension, substantially as specified.

4. In a clothes-line-housing apparatus, the combination of a casing, a weight mounted for vertical movement in the casing, fixed and movable sheaves mounted respectively upon the casing and weight, and an endless doubled clothes-line traversing said sheaves successively and having its members or sides arranged to simultaneously traverse the same sheave, the looped terminal portions of the clothes line extending through suitable guides to the exterior of the casing, and being provided with stops to prevent the same from passing through the guides into the easing, said looped terminals being independent] y and simultaneously extensible, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES L. KRABER. 

